Beauty of Darkness
by Kutlessrocker
Summary: Nine years after Yami saved Serah Farron from a resurrected Marluxia, she is called once again to stop a dangerous threat to the worlds.  What she didn't count on, however, was who would be posing the threat!  Part six of the Hearts series.
1. Prologue: Kurami

Author's Note: So, here it is finally. This is the prologue of Kurami's story. That's why it's so short, because this is just the prologue and not the true first chapter. The story will mostly follow Yami, but will occasionally switch back to Kurami. For now, this is told first-person by Kurami. Enjoy, friends...

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><p>Castle Oblivion had always been my home. Ever since Master Terra and Master Aqua handed it down to my father, Master Kevin, he lived here with me and mom. The white halls and endless corridors were a safe refuge for me. My life couldn't have been any better.<p>

Dad wanted to train me to use a Keyblade, but somehow my heart was unable to receive one. No one could figure out why, but it didn't bother me. He still trained me in swordsmanship and I trained myself in marksmanship. My weapon of choice was a custom-made, dual-bladed katana. Each blade was two and a half feet long while the handle was a foot long. It took many tries—and many burns at the forge resulting in scars on my left arm—to make it perfect. When I finished, I was proud of my work, and so were mom and dad.

I always went off world by myself, mostly to Deep Jungle so I could get lost in the woods and enjoy nature in all its beauty. After brushing my long, blond hair and dressing in my favorite blue cropped top, denim shorts, and sneakers, I made my way to the dining hall of the castle and met up with mom and dad. "Mom, dad, I'm going to Deep Jungle today," I said. "I'll be back either later today or tomorrow." They didn't care for me going because I could take care of myself.

"All right, Kurami," he said. "Be careful, and make sure you come home tomorrow. I don't like for you to be away for more than a couple of days."

"Ok, love you," I said, hugging both of them. I ate my breakfast and packed a few things for my hiking trip. I took a shower and put on my favorite blue cropped top and denim shorts.

After gathering my supplies and weapons, I left for my personal ship to take me to Deep Jungle. I was used to the long trip, so it didn't bother me that much. If I had a Keyblade, it would have been much easier, though. Keyblade Gliders go much faster than Gummi Ships.

I got bored on the way to Deep Jungle, so I decided to use the training room at the back of my ship. Unlike the trial-and-error method I used to learn blacksmithing, I learned Gummi Ship mechanics from Hope Estheim. He was Cid's apprentice and taught me everything Cid would teach him. Hope even helped me build my ship, which we agreed to name NORA after his deceased mother.

Once in the training room, I took my double-bladed sword and my bow. The training room of NORA was stocked with moving targets and robotic Nobodies. I fought off multiple Dancers while avoiding their deadly kicks. Dad told me that specific type was what killed Grandma and Grandpa while dad was a child. I hated them the most. They took my grandparents away from me before I even knew them!

After I was finished training, I returned to the bridge of the ship and waited until I arrived at Deep Jungle. I didn't know if I would visit the aging Tarzan and Jane and their grandchildren, or wait until next time. I really just wanted to be alone for the most part.

I arrived at the planet and beamed down using my Ring Platform. The ground felt nice and solid beneath my feet and I took a deep breath. The jungle air was so refreshing and it reminded me why I loved that world so much! Everything was so green and beautiful. The whole place was alive. It made me feel so alive! I wandered aimlessly through the trees and saw many creatures: monkeys, snakes, gorillas, and many kinds of birds. I was so in love with that world!

Eventually, I came to a cliff overlooking the lagoon where the elephants bathed. I sat on a rock and watched the majestic creatures interact with each other and go about their daily lives. They had such a simple, peaceful existence. It was a far cry from the lives of my parents, both Keyblade wielders. They fought most of their lives just to stay alive. It was dangerous to be a Keyblade wielder. Dad told me that his best friend, Crystal, had died in the line of duty. It was so sad because she was only sixteen, three years younger than I was!

Everything was peaceful until I heard a rustling in the bushes behind me. I turned around to see what it was, reaching back to the handle of my dual-bladed katana. I saw nothing, but I could sense a presence of Darkness. I knew exactly what it was from the stories dad told me. It was a Heartless.

I scanned the area around me, looking for any trace of the dark being. I couldn't see it, which was a very bad thing. I wasn't ready when suddenly, the creature jumped from the shadows and plunged its razor-sharp claws into my chest! I screamed in pain from the wound and kicked the Heartless over the side of the cliff. But it was far too late for me. I watched my heart float way into the sky. I closed my eyes as I felt my selfhood disappear and I plunged into a deep abyss toward the Realm of Darkness.

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><p>Author's Note: So, what do you think? Kurami will be the main antagonist of this story and fight against Yami and Hikari. Let me know if you liked it, and I'll get the next chapter soon. Until next time, friends...<p> 


	2. The Missing Girl

Author's Note: So, here's the new chapter of Beauty of Darkness. PoV switches to Yami for the rest of the story. It's been about nine years since Light and Dark, so she and Hikari are both 29. This was originally going to be in third-person, but I realized it sucked that way and re-wrote it lol. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this story and I have no idea how long it will be, but I do have the whole thing planned in my head so don't expect much writer's block for it. Enjoy, friends...

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><p>Our Keyblades clashed on the sands of the Destiny Islands. The two-against-one battle between myself, Hikari, and my Apprentice, Serah, seemed like it would tear the training island in half. Firaga and Thundaga spells turned the sand beneath our feet into glass and sparks flew from the Keyblades as they struck each other. The sparring session ended with Serah dropping her Keyblade and raising her hands in surrender. Her Keyblade was long and blue. The teeth were shaped like a snowflake and the keychain was also a snowflake. "Yami, Hikari, I give up!" she said, exhausted and bleeding. I used a Cura spell on her and her wounds healed quickly.<p>

"You did very well against both of us, Serah," I said as I patted her on the shoulder. "You're definitely improving your form. You'll be a Master in no time."

"Yeah," Hikari agreed. "To have been training for only six years, you're pretty good."

"Thanks, both of you," Serah said with an embarrassed smile. Serah, now twenty-five, started to train under me three years after the defeat of Marluxia. She was reluctant at first, but eventually decided to train. I had never seen her happier in my life, save her wedding day with Snow. "But you are the two greatest Keyblade Masters I know."

"That title belongs to mom, dad, and Riku," I corrected. A gleam of admiration sparkled in my eyes, which had become almost completely yellow because of my fusion with Vanitas—an unholy union that I was still condemned to Hell for. They changed a little every year. Only a third of each of my irises was still ocean blue. The rest had become yellow like a Heartless. "We should probably head back home before it gets too late."

"Yeah, if I don't get back soon, Snow will worry about me," Serah said. "See you guys tomorrow?"

"Of course," Hikari said in unison.

Serah stepped into her Gummi Ship and set it to take her back to Radiant Garden. It didn't take nearly as long as it used to. That was partly due to planetary drift over the past decade and partly to new Gummi technology developed by Hope Estheim. Hikari and I left for our homes. I had settled down and married my boyfriend, Kyle. Hikari had his own place on the beach. Our lives had become so peaceful since we killed Marluxia, repeating our father's previous accomplishment.

I fished my key out of my pocket once I arrived at my house. I turned the key in the lock and entered the home. "Kyle, I'm home," I called.

"Yami, come here," my husband said. His voice held deep concern that was so unlike him. I followed his voice to the den where he was sitting with my parents, Riku, Master Aqua, Kevin, and Tsukiko. "They have something they want to talk to you about."

"Sure, what is it, Masters?" I asked reverently, though I was now at their rank. But all I'd ever known them as was my superiors.

"Yami, our daughter has gone missing," Kevin said, holding Tsukiko's hand. "She disappeared a few days ago when she left for Deep Jungle. She told me that she would be home that next morning, but she never came back."

"Have you checked with any of her friends?" I asked.

"I contacted Hope Estheim, and he hasn't seen her," Tsukiko said. "Something has gone wrong. Kurami never just disappears like this!"

I looked at both distraught parents. My heart filled with pity at the sight. "I promise, I'll find Kurami and bring her home!"

"Yami, take Hikari and Serah with you," mom said. "I sense a new Darkness somewhere out there, and I have a feeling that it has something to do with Kurami's disappearance."

"Ok," I said. Snow wasn't going to be happy about it, but I would need my apprentice for the mission.

I managed to contact Serah. Luckily, she was only halfway back to Radiant Garden. She returned to the islands as quickly as possible. The three of us got into the Highwind and settled in for a long search. "Yami, how could Kurami just go missing? She's not the type to just disappear," Serah said as I set the auto-pilot to Deep Jungle and we walked to our room.

"Yeah, this is so unlike her," I said. "I've known Kurami all her life, and she's always been a careful and responsible girl." I opened the door and jumped up to my bunk while Serah took the bottom.

"That's what Hope always says about her," Serah said. "I haven't known her as long as you guys have, but I hear things from Hope, Vanille, and Fang."

"Hopefully we'll find her soon…if she's even still alive, that is," I said. I didn't want to think about it, but maybe Kurami was dead. It seemed like the only explanation why she would disappear, given her history of always checking in with her parents and coming home when she said she would.

"You really think she died?" Serah asked.

"I hope not, but that's all I can think of," I said.

"I hope she's not dead. I've lost too many people in my life," she said. "Speaking of, it's hard to believe John has been gone for nine years." Serah's voice faltered a little when she mentioned the night at the training island all those years ago, not too long after our little group was formed.

"I know," I said. "How has Fang been handling it lately? I haven't talked to her much since then."

"She took it very hard for a couple of years, but I think she's getting better now as the years go by," she said. "I can't imagine her pain, though. Losing your husband must be horrible. I don't even want to think of losing Snow." I looked down to the bottom bunk at Serah and she was holding the necklace she was given in lieu of a ring at the wedding. Serah and Snow's marriage was such a beautiful ceremony, and pretty unorthodox. They wrote their own vows and exchanged necklaces instead of rings.

"And I don't want to lose Kyle," I said. I looked at the ring, the physical embodiment of my promise to Kyle, on my left hand. I whispered, "I'll come home soon, Kyle. I love you." I made sure Serah couldn't hear me. Her silence gave no indication of whether she heard that or not, so I could only hope. Not that I didn't want her to, it was just that it seemed to be a sacred oath at the time.

I looked down at the bed to see Serah was fast asleep, still clutching that necklace. A smile spread across my face as I watched her sleep. Her pink hair was spread all across the pillow. I ran my right hand through my chocolate hair, which I'd let grow out considerably over the years, and rolled onto my back. We had time for about an hour nap before we reached Deep Jungle. I'd never been to the world before, so we would need to stick together and use the GPS to navigate so we didn't end up lost.

That was one reason I thought Kurami was dead. Deep Jungle was her favorite world. She always went there and knew the layout. There was no way she would get lost in the forest because she knew it so well. Images that I'd rather forget flashed through my mind. I saw images of Kurami being ripped by a leopard, run down by an elephant, or mauled by a gorilla. I closed my eyes tight and concentrated on removing those awful pictures from my mind. I gripped handfuls of the bed sheets as I cleared my mind. I resolved that I would assume her to be alive from then on until we either searched everywhere with no luck, or found her body. It would be easier said than done, but it would help me concentrate on finding her if I was looking for a live person and not a dead body.

I slowly drifted off to sleep. As my eyes closed, an image flashed in my mind. It was a frightening image of a young woman, about 20 years old or somewhere around there. She had short, black hair that was shorter in the back and the bangs formed three, long spikes, the largest of which covered her left eye completely. She wore tight denim shorts that reached mid-thigh and a purple cropped top. The outfit flattered her figure. But what made the image scary was the fact that her visible eye was completely yellow and the pupil was a cat-like slit. With her slender figure and scary eyes, this woman looked almost like a snake! My eyes opened wide once more and the image was gone. Where had that image come from? I never knew a woman who looked like that, so it couldn't have been a memory. I tried to blame it on my need for a nap, but I couldn't entirely convince myself. I sat up and shook my head slowly, rubbing the back of my neck with my left hand. I laid back down to try the nap again. This time, I slept without much problems.

"Yami, wake up," Serah said as she shook me. "We're here."

I sat up and Serah climbed back down. She was already dressed in a kimono-like dress with multiple pinks and purples of different shades. I wasn't sure if it was suitable for a jungle mission, but Serah was a sensible girl. If she thought she could make it through a dense forest in that, then I wouldn't say anything. She wore yellow gloves, brown boots, and pink leggings with it.

I went to my closet and picked out something to wear. One of John's old Organization XIII cloaks was hanging in the back. I had no idea what it was doing there, and never even noticed it until then. I was tempted to move it, but then I thought it would be wrong to do that. The coat had been there, untouched, for nine years. Instead, I took a burgundy shirt and a pair of denim jeans. I took a shower and got dressed quickly. Hikari was wearing a gray shirt and jeans like mine. He had a backpack of supplies over his shoulder. "You girls ready to go?" he asked.

"I'm ready," I said.

"Me too," Serah said. We teleported to the surface from the Ring platform and it beamed us to the surface. As soon as the five rings went back up to the ship, we set off into the thick forest.

Everything looked the same. I could swear we passed the same tree fifty times within an hour, but the three of us kept on going. I wouldn't give up until I found her. We eventually came to a cliff with a view of the elephants. There was a sign that this place had been disturbed. "Spread out and see if there are any signs of Kurami here," I said. Hikari, Serah, and I searched the immediate area, but were just about to give up when we heard something in the bushes. Three Powerwilds appeared with claws bared. "Heartless!"

With the three of us, they were easy enough to take out. We dismissed our Keyblades. "There may not be many anymore, but there are still too many Heartless for my taste!" I said.

"Yeah," Hikari said. He looked down and something caught his attention. "Hey, is that…blood? Is anyone bleeding?"

"No, I'm not," Serah and I said almost simultaneously. We looked to where Hikari pointed and saw a small, dried bloodstain on the ground. "You don't think this is Kurami's, do you?" Serah asked.

"Well, it isn't ours, and this place looks like somewhere she'd go," I said. "Maybe something killed her."

Hikari interjected. "Or maybe…maybe the Heartless got to her." Kurami was a quick girl, but Heartless generally faster than normal humans. And despite her lineage, she was just an ordinary girl. No Keyblade, no magic except for a few weak healing spells, she just had her normal weapons and lots of training.

Just then, we heard more rustling in the bushes. I drew Kingdom Key D just as Hikari and Serah materialized their Keyblades. A woman walked out of the bushes. She wore a purple cropped top and denim shorts that came halfway down her thighs. Her straight, black hair was short in the back and long in the front. Three spikes made up her long bangs, the largest of which covered her left eye completely. Her eyes were gold with cat-like slits for pupils.

This woman didn't even look human. And I could tell that my suspicions of that were correct. With the low-cut top, I could clearly see the Heartless emblem on her left breast. "What do we have here? A meal, perhaps?" she hissed in a voice that is both soothing and terrifying.

"Who are you?" I demanded.

"Who am I? I'm trying to figure that out myself," she said. "Though a name does seem to be in the back of my mind. It starts with a 'K,' but I'm not too sure. Ku…Kur…Kura…"

"Kurami? Is that really you?" Serah asked.

"Yes, that's the name!" she said. "Thank you! As a reward, your death will be the quickest!" We had no time to react before Kurami was on top of Serah, trying to claw her heart out Serah screamed as her Keyblade was knocked out of her hands, leaving her defenseless and doomed. "Your Pure Light smells so delicious!"

Hikari tackled Kurami and almost sent both of them rolling off the cliff. Hikari got up quickly and slashed downward, but Kurami rolled over the edge and disappeared into thin air. I helped Serah up, but was too shocked to think after what I'd just witnessed. "Kurami is a Heartless now?" I asked in disbelief.

"This is going to be bad," Hikari said. "She's a human-form Heartless like Xehanort was. This isn't going to be easy." And he was right. It wasn't going to be easy. But what I wanted to know was, why did she look like that? The Kurami I knew was a little taller, had an athletic figure, with blond hair and blue eyes like her father. And she was nineteen. This woman looked older, around my age, twenty-nine. She was shorter, had larger breasts and a curvy figure, and she also had black hair.

I had no idea how we were going to take this monstrous version of our former friend down, or how we would find her Nobody that was undoubtedly created. What's even worse, how would we tell her father about her fate?

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><p>Author's Note: When will I ever write Yami and Hikari actually winning a fight without outside help? lol Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed it. Next update will be Her Scars. Until next time, friends...<p> 


	3. Haunting Memories

Author's Note: Sorry for the late update. I've had severe writer's block lately, and so many ideas in my head to distract me. Anyway, hope you enjoy this new, but short chapter.

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><p>Hikari, Serah, and I retreated to the Highwind before Kurami could find us again. I punched in the coordinates for home and set the hyperdrive to max. Serah sat in the chair beside me and Hikari paced the floor. "How are we going to tell Kevin about this?" Hikari said.<p>

"We'll tell him the truth," I said. "I actually think it's better news that she's turned into a Heartless than if we had to tell him she's dead. At least this way there is hope of bringing her back."

"So, we kill the Heartless, kill the Nobody, and Kurami comes back," Hikari said. "It's easier said than done. You felt how powerful her Darkness was."

"But we have to try. And we need to be fast. She may try to kill her Nobody," I said. "And if that Nobody dies first, Kurami will die."

"What makes you think she'd do that?" Serah asked.

"You saw how she acted, how she fought," I said. "She was enjoying every minute of that raw power. Kurami was well aware of how restoring someone from being a Heartless was achieved. And if that Heartless has some of her memories, she'll know her fun will be over if we take her down first. She won't think that we'll harm her if the Nobody is out of the picture. She'll think we wouldn't risk annihilating one of our friends."

"Well, would we?" Serah asked.

"As much as I'd hate to, we'll still have to destroy the Heartless. I don't want something that wild and powerful freely roaming the Realm of Light and wreaking havoc. Too many people will die and many more will become Heartless. That thing could single-handedly cause another Heartless Invasion and void all the hard work and sacrifice it took for mom and dad to stop the last one." I looked down at the ground, closed my eyes, and bit my lip because of what I was about to say. "I'll kill her myself if it comes down to that." I fought a tear. I had no idea how I was going to kill a girl who I'd known since she was a child.

"You won't do it alone," Hikari said. "I'm with you, Yami." He placed his hand on my shoulder.

"Me too," Serah said. "After all we've been through together, there's no way Hikari and I will let you face her alone!"

I smiled, but it was more for their benefit. I didn't want to kill Kurami, but I was faced with the truth that I may have to. And not just kill her Heartless and Nobody, but kill her permanently due to her Nobody dying first. No, I wouldn't let that happen. I would find the Heartless before it found the Nobody.

Serah, Hikari, and I all three decided to take a nap before we arrived back home. No matter how I tried, though, I couldn't sleep. I tossed and turned, unable to banish that image of the monster we fought. I wondered what world she would attack first.

After giving up on sleep, I decided to walk to the kitchen and make a sandwich. I climbed down to the floor, which was cold against my feet. I was chilled, but it didn't bother me too much. I opened the door to the kitchen and went straight for the refrigerator. As much as I hated to admit being like my brother, I could polish off as much food as he and dad could. At least I took comfort in knowing mom wasn't innocent in that department either. I blamed it on our extremely active lifestyles.

I didn't even look at the meats I picked out as I assembled the three-inch-tall sandwich. I was just concerned about making it disappear and drowning my worry with bread, meat, and a glass of water. "You and I are just alike, aren't we?" Hikari said from a dark corner of the room, startling me. "But I guess that's to be expected, us being twins and all. Right?"

"You nearly gave me a heart attack," I laughed. "Yeah, I guess we are."

"You've changed, Yami," he said. "Changed for the better, I mean. A few years ago, you would have taken offense to that comparison."

"I've changed a lot in the past decade," I said. "But I've gained enough bad to cancel out the good." I gripped the counter for support.

"No you haven't, Yami," he said. "What would make you think of something like that?"

"Hikari, I still have Vanitas inside me! There's a lingering evil in my heart and if it doesn't destroy me first, it will come out and kill all of you guys eventually! Then it will drag me down into the worst part of the Underworld when I die. There's no escaping it for me! No matter what good I do, it will all mean nothing in 1,000 years when I'm still in Hell!"

"Yami…where did all that come from?" Hikari drew his eyebrows together and started to reach out to me, but pulled his hand back.

"I'm sorry, Hikari. I have no idea what came over me," I said. "It's just, all this stress from Kurami…her Heartless…that Darkness is stirring in me again. I thought I absorbed Vanitas completely, but since I triggered Dark Mode when we fought Marluxia, I've been hearing things. Vanitas…he talks to me when I sleep."

"How come you never told any of us this before?" Hikari asked.

"I thought it would just go away at first, but it's been getting worse," I said. "I didn't want to burden you, Hikari."

He walked over to me and hugged me tightly. "Yami…you've been dealing with this for nine years? I can't believe you didn't tell me. I could have helped you," he said. "What does Vanitas tell you?"

In my mind, I didn't think I was ready to tell him, but my heart compelled me to give every detail. "He…he tells me horrible things. Like describing the time he almost killed mom when they fought in the Underworld, he replays when he destroyed my first Keyblade, he tells me that he'll possess me and murder all of you. He says he'll start with you, then move on to dad and Roxas, then Riku, Terra, Kevin, Tsukiko, Kurami, Aqua, and then mom, Namine, and Crystal. Then, finally, he'll make me murder Kyle in our own bed! He also tells me of how I should have saved John anyway. I knew that wound was in my power to heal, but I felt I needed to honor his last request."

"You did the right thing, letting John pass on to the Underworld," Hikari said in my ear. "It was what he wanted."

"But I wasn't ready to lose him!" I said.

"None of us were," he said. "But it's not your fault he's gone. It's Larxene's."

"I know, but…"

"It's ok, sis," he said. "We'll beat Kurami, then take care of Vanitas. I promise, I won't let him drag you to Hell."

"Hikari…you're the best brother I could have ever asked for," I said. 'But even you can't help me,' I thought.

We arrived back at the Destiny Islands just as Serah was waking up. I took a deep breath and we beamed down to my parents' backyard. I knocked on the door and let us in. "Mom, dad, we're back," I called.

"Welcome back," mom said as she rounded the corner. "You guys don't look too happy. What happened?" Her usual smile quickly disappeared and was replaced with deep concern. It was true, Hikari, Serah, and I looked like we'd just been kicked in the stomach. And truthfully, I wasn't quite sure if that was truly the case for Hikari and Serah.

"Call Kevin and Tsukiko," I said. "Things just got really bad."

We waited for an hour or so until they arrived. I didn't want to say anything to mom or dad about it without Kurami's parents being there. They deserved to find out first, her being their daughter and all. "Ok, what happened?" Master Kevin said as they came inside and sat down across from me.

I looked to Hikari on my right and Serah on my left and they nodded. "Masters, there's no easy way to say this," I said. I saw fear on their faces. No doubt they expected me to say she was dead. "Kurami…has lost her heart. She's become a Heartless. We fought her on Deep Jungle and lost badly before she got away."

I would never be able to accurately describe the looks of pain and shock in Kevin and Tsukiko's eyes. Kevin managed to compose himself before he could fall apart. "Are you sure it was her?" he asked emotionlessly.

"I'm positive," I said. "She knew her name and everything. Her memories are slightly dormant, but she'll remember most of them eventually. We need to take her down before she gets the bright idea to kill her Nobody."

"I'll do it," Master Kevin said.

"No, you'll get hurt," Tsukiko said as she grabbed his arm. "I know you, Kevin. You'll hesitate, and the Heartless will steal your heart!"

"If I don't, then who else will?" he said.

"Hikari, Serah, and I will do it," I said. We'd already planned to go after her anyway, but I didn't count on Kevin volunteering. I lacked the foresight mom possessed. I was really more like dad than I'd ever admit.

"Be careful out there," mom said. "Humanoid Heartless are more dangerous than you could possibly realize. You've never had to fight one before, but Xehanort's Heartless almost killed me, your father, Riku, Donald, and Goofy at Hollow Bastion Castle." The way Serah looked at mom when she mentioned Hollow Bastion made me think that it was the first time she heard that her home was a battleground.

"Don't worry, we've all gotten stronger since Marluxia. We'll be careful," I said, hugging mom tightly. I let go of her too soon, but we really had to move along. "Guys, let's go. Masters, I promise I'll bring your daughter back. Next time you see me, Kurami will be whole again."

They both smiled, but Kevin spoke up. "Don't make a promise you can't possibly keep, Yami," he said. We left the house with a few final goodbyes and headed out to the stars.

"Where should we check first?" Hikari asked.

"Somewhere with a lot of hearts and a lot of Darkness," I said. "She could be anywhere within the radius of three galaxies. She could be on Earth, Atlantis, and Radiant Garden. But I don't think she'll leave the galaxy, so that strikes out Earth and Atlantis."

"Oh no, what if she's attacking my homeworld?" Serah gasped. "Snow…he can't fight something like that! And Fang, Lightning, Sazh, Hope, and Vanille could be in danger too!"

"I doubt she'll attack in broad daylight," Hikari said. "And either way, all of them could hold her off. Remember, they also have Cloud, Vincent, Tifa, Yuffie, Noel, Kain, Cecil, Squall, Lea, and everyone else. Radiant Garden isn't going down without giving Kurami the fight of her life."

"But we still need to go and see if she's actually there," I said as I typed the coordinates for Serah's homeworld. Whether we'd find Kurami there or not, at least we could regroup and inform everyone of the situation before she could plot a sneak attack.

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><p>Author's Note: So, how was it? Next update will be Her Scars, and that chapter will hopefully be longer than this one. Until next time...<p> 


	4. Regrouping

Author's Note: So after a month, here's the new chapter. This story will probably be short and after it, I may do a timeskip to a time where Yami has children of her own. I'm working out the concepts for Yami and Kyle's daughter. I may not make her a Keyblade wielder. She wouldn't be Yami's successor anyway because Serah already has that role. Anyway, enjoy the story and be prepared to see a familiar face emerge for the first time in a long time.

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><p>The ride to Radiant Garden was tense. Serah was in her seat, worried about her home, her friends, and her husband. I sat next to her with my arm around her, but that didn't ease her. Hikari paced the floor with his Keyblade, occasionally slashing at the air. Eventually, we arrived on Serah's homeworld. I parked in Squall's Gummi Ship hangar after sending a message of our arrival. Hikari, Serah, and I stepped out of the ship and were greeted by Cloud, Vincent, and Squall. Cloud was just as cold to me as usual, but didn't seem hostile this time. Maybe he finally stopped comparing my Darkness to Sephiroth. Vincent just stood there, his face half-hidden by his tattered red scarf. "Yami, Hikari, it's good to see you again," Squall said.<p>

"Good to see you too, but the reason we're here is to tell you about a humanoid Heartless that may be heading here," I said.

Squall's expression grew darker. "If that's the case, follow me to the command room. I'll call some of our other fighters too. Kain, Fang, Claire, Noel, Hope, and I should be enough for a first line of defense. If it still manages to break through, everyone else can join in," he said.

We followed him down dark, winding corridors deep into his castle. Along the way, we saw locations mom, dad, and Riku told us about—where Riku was possessed, the Final Keyhole where dad fought a possessed Riku, and the chapel where dad, Donald, and Goofy fought Maleficent. Eventually, we reached the room, which was behind a hidden door you could only open with the retinal scanner. The wall peeled back and revealed a computer room filled with monitors and things I was sure I'd break if I even breathed on them. Squall stood over computer console and typed many fast keystrokes. "There, that activated the Claymores. They attack Heartless and Nobodies on sight. We haven't used them in years, but Cid maintained them before retiring. Now Hope keeps the systems up. Now, tell me what exactly is going on."

"Ok," I started. "I don't know if you've heard that Master Kevin's daughter had gone missing. Well, Hikari, Serah, and I volunteered to find her for him, but that's when we found out she'd been turned into a Heartless. We fought her on Deep Jungle and got beaten really bad. She's almost as powerful as Xehanort was. Though, she's still immature and reckless. I think, with the right planning, we could take her down next time. But we came to warn you that she might attack any time."

"Thanks for the warning, but are you sure you can beat her? If she's as powerful as you say…" Squall started.

"We can," Hikari interjected. "Kurami is our friend and we have to save her."

"Yeah," Serah said. "We have to at least try. She'll probably try to kill her Nobody, and we can't let that happen."

"Well, I can't exactly stop you," he said. "Two out of three don't live on this world, so you're out of my jurisdiction. And since you're with them, Serah, I wouldn't be able to convince you to stay behind if I wanted to. Just promise to be careful."

"We will," I said. "After coming so far together, nothing can get in our way." I put my arms around Hikari and Serah's shoulders and pulled them close to me, which was difficult since Hikari was taller than me.

Squall laughed and shook his head. "You really are Sora's daughter, Yami," he said. "That sounds like something he would have said back when we fought Xehanort. Anyway, do you have a plan?"

I started to speak, but then realized we had no formal plan of attack. "Well, we were just going to wait for her to come here and ambush her. But that is probably easier said than done."

"I'll post guards to help keep watch," he said. "At noon, there will be a meeting in this room. Don't be late. Now, it's getting late. You three should go get some rest. I'll have two rooms ready for you and Hikari. Serah, I assume you'll want to go home to Snow?"

"Yes," she said. "You don't care, Yami, do you?"

"Nah, go on," I said. "We'll catch up in the morning." Serah nodded and went back to her home.

"You two should go on to your rooms," Squall said. "I'm going to stay here and watch from these computers, so Vincent will take you to the rooms."

"Hikari, you and Vincent go ahead. There's someone I want to see first," I said. I left the room before either could protest and ran to where I knew Fang would be.

I ran through the corridors to a large balcony in the room that was once Serah's. I expected Fang to be alone, but to my surprise, there was another figure with her. A woman around Serah's age, maybe even younger, was standing next to her. She had long, silky black hair and wore a plain, black dress. Her arms were crossed and she looked sad, almost as sad as Fang did. I almost turned to leave, but the two caught sight of me. I finally got a look at the woman's face. She had violet eyes and pale skin. She was really beautiful and oddly familiar. "Yami, what are you doing here?" Fang asked.

"I'm sorry for interrupting," I said.

"It's ok," she said. She crossed her arms and turned to the other woman. "Well, I guess the cat's out of the bag. You've been found out, Xion."

Xion? As in Roxas and Lea's dead friend? "Xion…did I hear that right?" I asked. That answered why she looked so familiar, but raised so many other questions as well. I approached the two and stood between them on the balcony. "How…how are you alive?"

"I'd better explain it since I was in on the whole plan," Fang said. "You see, when John died, he had already arranged with Hades to bring Xion's soul back in exchange for his. Now you know why he didn't let you heal him that day. Xion has been living with me, in secret, for nine years, waiting for the right time to show herself."

"Fang helped me," Xion said. "When I woke up, I had lost almost all my memories due to them going back to Sora when I died. She filled me in on all the missing pieces and I eventually recovered thanks to her."

"Xion, this is Sora's daughter," Fang said. "Yami Nomura, Kairi's successor and a Keyblade Master."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Yami," she said. She held her hand out to shake and I accepted.

"Same here, Xion," I said. "So, it was John's plan all along to bring you back. Did he know he was going to die that day?"

"No, it was just an arrangement for whenever fate managed to catch up to him," Fang said. "John was clever, but no one is meant to cheat death for very long. Hades was growing rather impatient with him. I miss him every day, but I know I'll see him again." Fang looked out into the sunset, probably trying to hide her face so her emotions wouldn't betray her.

"I felt so guilty when I came back because her husband had to die for me to be resurrected," Xion said. "Fang told me it was ok, but it took years for me to get over that."

"John knew what he was doing," I said. "Welcome back, Xion." I stepped forward and hugged Xion tightly. "I know a few people who will be thrilled to see you again. Roxas is still alive inside my father. He can even come out of dad when he wants. But before then, there's something both of you should know."

"What is it?" Fang asked.

"Master Kevin's daughter, Kurami, has become a Heartless and may be coming here on a rampage. We'll need both of you to help fight her. Squall's already informed almost everyone else, but I thought I should tell you personally."

"I see," Fang said. "Xion, do you think you are ready to reveal yourself? Lea will most certainly be glad to see you again."

Xion thought hard about it. "Hmm, yes. I'm ready," she said.

"Do you still have your Keyblade?" I asked.

"No," she said. "But Fang has taught me how to fight with other bladed weapons and offensive magic. I can defend myself."

"That's good," I said. "In the morning, there will be a meeting in the war room at noon. I'll see you two there tomorrow?"

"Yes, see you there," Fang said.

"It was so nice to finally meet you, Xion," I said. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"It was great meeting you too," she said. "Bye."

I left the two in the room and headed to my room, which Squall had sent the directions to on my communication device. I rarely used it, but it came in handy this time. The next day, we would form our plan of attack!

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><p><strong><em>Third-Person<em> _PoV:_**

Darkness fell upon Radiant Garden. The shop windows were closed for the night and not a soul was to be found in the streets except for one man. A nervous sensation filled his heart, which was pulsing with Darkness. Something didn't feel right, so he picked up the pace to head back home. He decided to take a shortcut through a dark alley and that's when his heart sank at the sight he saw. Standing before him was a woman with short, black hair and golden eyes that glowed like the moonlight. Her outfit left nothing to his imagination. Some primitive instinct told every muscle in his body to run, but the man was so entranced by this woman, who was the physical manifestation of his deepest desires, that he froze still in fear and awe. "Looks like someone's lost," she said seductively. She slowly sauntered toward him, like a snake cornering a frightened mouse. "Don't be so scared. I don't bite…unless you want me to."

The man cleared his throat as sweat poured from his face, palms, and neck. "Umm…I…uhh…what are you doing out here…m…m…miss?" he stuttered. She was mere inches away from him now. "Sh…shouldn't y…you b…be home?"

"No, I shouldn't," she said. Her breath was hot against his face, adding to his list of conflicting feelings. "I'm here specifically for you. You find me attractive, don't you?"

"I…I…I don't know…you," he said.

"That's not my question. I asked, do you find me attractive?" she repeated. She pressed her body to his and he nearly choked on his breath. He couldn't resist caressing the smooth skin of her exposed waist and back.

"Y…y…yes," he said.

"Well, I'm all yours," she said. She claimed his lips in a deep kiss. The man felt like he was in heaven. He started to tug upwards at the hem of her cropped top, but she stopped him. "Slow down, cowboy. All in good time." She led him deeper into the alley and forced him to sit on a crate. She straddled him and acted as if she were going to kiss him. He closed his eyes in anticipation, but did not receive what he was expecting. Instead of her lips against his, he felt her teeth dig into his neck. He tried to scream for help, but it came out as a gurgle as he started to drown on the blood spilling into his lungs. What didn't go down his windpipe or chest cavity was lapped up by Kurami. She greedily drank his blood with pleasure. Once he was completely drained, she dropped his lifeless body down and dug her hand into his chest. She pulled his heart out and devoured it, gaining more power from its Darkness. "Ahh, that was delicious. Thanks for the meal, handsome. I'll not forget you." Kurami opened a dark portal to a random location of Radiant Garden, looking for her next victim before she would search for her Nobody. "Sorry, Nobody. Tomorrow is your last day."

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><p>Author's Note: Yes, Xion is back lol. I wanted to find a way to bring her back somehow, but it took a while to think of a way. This is not going to be just "Here she is, that's all folks." I'm working on a spin-off story about her time with Fang between this and Light and Dark. Also, that last part with Kurami has an interesting past. When I was working on plans for her before starting this (back when she was going to be 16 instead of 19, her Nobody was going to be an antagonist alongside her, and it was going to be her PoV), I wrote out a scene similar to this one. I remembered it and decided to flesh it out a little. Unlike other Heartless, she doesn't steal hearts to reproduce. She kills the owner and absorbs their Darkness by eating their hearts. Anyway, next update will be Endgame. Until next time, friends...<p> 


	5. Storm on the Horizon

Author's Note: It's been a while, hasn't it? lol Sorry for taking so long to update. I've had awful writer's block and I really had no clear vision for this story. But now I know where I'm going to take it, and I will end it with the next chapter posted. I have an idea for the sequel that I am writing out. Then I was thinking, after doing the sequel to this, skipping ahead into the far future. The Hearts Series has stayed with the whole Sora/Riku/Kairi group since the beginning, even in the next generation they are mirrored. I want to start fresh with something new and no better way than to go to a future where they are long dead. Anyway, enjoy.

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><p>I woke up the next morning ready to take on Kurami's Heartless. The meeting wasn't for a few hours, so I decided to go see Xion again. At first, thinking of her brought back memories of John's death, but I couldn't blame either of them. Knowing about soul exchanges, it seemed only logical John would trade his for a fallen friend given his personality. If something happened to Serah or my husband, I know I would do the same thing.<p>

I tried not to get lost as I remembered the way to Xion and Fang's room. The corridors were all so similar. I really wished I had Serah with me, but I understood why she would want to stay with Snow. If only Kyle could have come with me, but he really would have been more in the way than anything. He had no combat skills. If anything ever attacked him, he would be completely defenseless. His swordsmanship never really advanced past us playing with wooden swords. It was a shame, really, that we stopped after we got married. Our jobs kept us away except at nights and on weekends. I had my own little swordsmanship class at the community center in addition to training Serah, and Kyle had a desk job at an office inland. On the weekends, we were so tired from work that we didn't have the energy to do anything except spend time together, which was fine with me. I loved him, loved just being with him no matter what we did.

Eventually, I reached the right room and saw Xion sitting on the bed. "Xion, can I come in?" I asked.

She turned around, brushing her hair out of her face. "Oh…Yami, was it? Yeah, you can come in," she said. She scooted over in the bed to give me some room to sit. I walked over and sat down at her right side. "Was there something on your mind?"

"Well, there's a lot of things on my mind, but I'm sure your memory loss would be a problem for all my questions," I said. "I just had so many questions about your life before all this, but I'm sure most of those memories are still inside Dad."

"I can try to answer some of them if I can remember," she said. "But I'm sorry if I can't."

"That's ok, I don't want to strain your mind," I said. "You've been through so much, sacrificed everything, you deserve to have a relaxed life."

"I have been taking it easy for a few years. Fang and I don't talk a lot about the past anymore like we used to," she said. "I think there are either things she doesn't know or things she doesn't want me to remember."

"Sometimes, the truth can hurt," I said. "When I found out mom was half of the X-blade wielder, I felt so betrayed because they never told me, but I'm glad I found out. If Fang is hiding anything from you, which I doubt she is, but if she is then she needs to tell you. If she thinks she's protecting you, then she's really just hurting you. But Fang isn't like that. She would tell you if she knew anything else."

"You're right, Yami. Fang has treated me like a daughter since she found me," Xion said. "You'd think she'd resent me, her husband having to die so I could be reborn."

"There would be no reason for her to resent you, Xion. You didn't choose this," I said. "John did, and he knew what he was doing."

"I know, but I still can't believe anyone would do that for me," she said. She looked down at her lap and closed her eyes. "From what Fang said, my creator only made me to be a tool."

"But that doesn't define you, Xion," I said. "You've created your own identity, and that's something Vexen never could have anticipated. Now, let's go meet Squall so you can reveal yourself to everyone." I took Xion's hand and she smiled at me.

"Ok," she said as she stood up with me. "I'm a little nervous. I mean, I haven't seen Axel in so long."

"Don't worry, he'll be happy to see you," I said.

Xion and I walked through the halls of the castle. She helped me this time so I didn't get lost going to the meeting room. When we opened the door, Squall, Lea, Cloud, and Lightning were already there gathered around the computer. A Heartless emblem was displayed on one of the monitors and a pale corpse with a hole in his chest was on another. The sight would have made anyone vomit, but I'd been used to seeing gore throughout my life. Lea looked in our direction when we came in and his eyes popped open wider than I thought possible. "W-wait a minute…that can't be…Xion?" he stuttered.

"Axel, it is me," she said. "I'm back."

"B…but h-h-how? Roxas killed you years ago! And how can you exist without being connected to Sora?" he asked.

"Axel, I've been hiding out here for nine years," she said. "You remember John? He traded his soul for mine all those years ago. Fang has kept me since then."

"Why didn't you show yourself sooner?" he asked as he walked over to Xion and cupped her cheek in his right hand as if he were checking to see if she was really there.

"Because I was scared," she said. "I woke up having no idea who I was or what had happened. Fang helped me remember my life, piece by piece. I've made my own memories now."

"Xion, since our memories of you were restored, I've missed you so much," he said. "Both you and Roxas."

"Yami, can I see Roxas again?" she asked.

"When this is all over, I'll take you to my home and you can see him again. He lives inside dad, so he'll have to come back out," I said. "But I promise, you will see Roxas again."

"Thank you," she said. "Axel, I mean Lea, it's so good to finally see your face again."

"Same here, Xion," he said. Lea wrapped his arms around Xion and held her tightly.

"Hate to break up this reunion, but we have work to do," Squall said. "I'm happy you've returned, Xion, but we have another matter at hand." Squall pointed to the monitor with the corpse. "That person was the victim of a homicide last night. His heart was removed and all his blood drained. I think it may be the work of the human-form Heartless, Kurami."

It broke my heart to see how my friend had been reduced to such a sight. The sweet, kind girl I watched grow up had become a monster overnight. But I reminded myself that it wasn't her fault. She was only acting as any Heartless would. She didn't have control of herself like Xehanort or even my father had.

"Anyway, I'm going to have you all do a grid search for her," Squall said. He started naming off the groups, but my attention was really caught when my name came up. "Yami, I want you, Serah, and Xion to search the back alleys of the shopping district. Hope will stay here and monitor your progress. I'll take Lightning and Cloud and guard the main gates of the city. If she's inside, she won't be getting out. And if she's outside, she won't be getting back in."

The rest of the meted concluded and we divided into our groups. Xion carried a dagger in a sheath that strapped around her thigh, a wickedly-sharp sword in a sheath on her left hip, and a satchel full of Elixirs, Potions, and Ethers at her right side and slung over her shoulder. She may not have had a Keyblade anymore, but she wasn't about to go down without a fight. I had Kingdom Key D slung over my shoulder and Serah was standing beside me, opposite side as Xion. We walked through the dark alleys together. It was wet, cold, stinky, and none too pleasant. But we toughed it out anyway. Kurami's Heartless wouldn't be getting away so easily.

We walked down an alley when I saw a flash of blonde hair going around the corner. "Hey wait," I yelled. I took off running, knowing Serah and Xion were at my heels.

"Yami, where are you going?" Serah asked.

"I saw someone," I said. "It's not safe back here, and I want to make sure this person gets out safe."

We made it to a dead end and the person was standing with her back pressed against the wall. I was in such shock to see the familiar face of a girl I thought was lost forever. "K…Kurami? Is that…really you?" I asked.

"Yami?" she asked with just enough inflection to show it was a question. Her voice was a monotone, such a sharp contrast from the cheerful tone she usually carried. Sure enough, she looked just like Kurami. Same hair color, same body type, same weapons strapped to her back. Even her outfit was the same as her favorite outfit. There was only one difference. Her irises were blood red, much like John's had been. "Why am I not happy to see you and Serah again? And who's your friend over here?"

"You're a Nobody, Kurami," I said. "And this is Xion." Kurami looked at her and Xion waved at her. "You need to come with us. Your life is in danger."

"Danger from what?" she asked.

"We have reason to believe your Heartless is trying to kill you. We need you to come back to Hollow Bastion castle so you can be safe."

"I don't need rescuing," she said. "I can handle myself just fine."

"Really now? How were we not able to fight off that Heartless then?" a voice called from the shadows. The curvy form of her Heartless appeared from around the corner and slowly sauntered toward us. "Seems to me like I got the best deal out of the two of us. I have super-human abilities and you're just our body left behind."

Serah and I raised our Keyblades as the Heartless materialized two battleaxes out of Darkness. Kurami's Nobody pulled the double-bladed katana from the clip on her back and took her defensive stance. Xion also drew her sword. "You underestimate me," Kurami said. "You know as well as I do that I don't go down very easily if I see my attacker. I have no problem with fighting you because your death will mean I can go back to normal."

"No, no, no, you've got it all wrong," the Heartless said. "You're the one who's going to die today." The Heartless lunged at her and she smacked her Dark other away with the blunt end of one of the blades. Kurami's Heartless was lying on the ground, giving me the perfect opportunity to strike. I slashed downward, but she swung her legs around and tripped me. I fell flat on my face and tried to pick myself up, but she clawed my back and I screamed in pain. I never knew what it was about the slash of a Heartless' fingernails that hurt so much worse than one would think. It felt like I was getting a tattoo and the ink was made of rubbing alcohol. I turned around and saw she was going to plunge her hand into my chest to finish me off, but Xion tackled her back to the ground. I picked myself up and helped Xion subdue her. We grabbed her wrists, but she broke free of our grip. She opened a Corridor of Darkness and partially stepped through. "We'll finish this tomorrow, at the Keyblade Graveyard."

"Get back here!" I said. I leaped toward the portal, but it closed just as my fingers touched it. "Gah, she got away!"

"Take it easy, Yami," Serah said. "She said to meet her at the Keyblade Graveyard, so let's take this time to rest."

"Keyblade Graveyard," I whispered. I hadn't been there since I killed myself nine years prior. The day I had met Serah and also the day I was possessed by Vanitas. "It's been a while since I've been there."

"Let's head back and tell everyone else," Xion said. We headed back to the castle, Kurami's Nobody along with us, as we prepared to tell everyone of our appointment the next day.

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><p>Author's Note: So, how did you guys like it? The final chapter will be the next one posted for this story. It's been quite the experiment writing this story. I honestly can't say I'm happy with the way this one has been turning out, but oh well lol. They can't all be winners, right? Thanks to all who have enjoyed this and read it. Next update will be Her Scars. Until next time, friends...<p> 


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